>>19432100In their heads they're not milking a mark for an easy paycheck, and most of them go out of their way to sacrifice far more than necessary even when it's pointless. That's the whole nature of AEW. Most AEW wrestlers unironically think of themselves as serious "artists" and Tony sees himself as the wealthy patron keeping the true craft alive.
That's why the veteran stars who sign there are the ones who are marks for their own "creative freedom". Edge didn't need to dive off the top of a cage onto a table at the age of 50 and break his leg last year. He overdid it. But he had FUN doing it, man. Don't you like FUN? We have FUN here you know.
